Generally gold is not plated onto aluminum... there isn't really a reason to. And since you said it was from a washer, I would be more skeptical of it being gold. Usually gold plating is used when contact resistance is a concern or for EM shielding. Neither of which is very important for a washer.
That being said, it doesn't hurt to have it tested. Set it aside and when you find someone that can test it for free, have it checked out. If it is plating, an acid test should work, if its an alloy (which the contact points could be) you may need to find a jeweler with an XRF gun. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.
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